Ball-caster.



No. 647,675. Patented Apr. I7, |900.

J. S. KUCH.

BALL CASTER.

(Application led Feb. 5, 1900.)

Patented Apr. I7, |900.

J. S. KOCH.

BALL EASTER.

(Application med Feb. 5, 1900.)

(No Model.)

fggyel l l Il l I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

"NrTi-:D STATES PATENT Prion.

JAMES S. KOCH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOCHARLES J. FOX, OF- SAME PLACE.

BALL-CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,675, dated April17, 1900. Application iiled'lehruary 5, 1900. Serial No. 3,969. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES S. KOCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin -Ball- Bearing Casters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a caster of the ball-bearing type forfurniture and other simi-` lar articles; and in such connection itrelates to the particular construction of the easter proper and thearrangement of the ball-bearings within the caster proper for thecasterball to travel in engagement therewith within the housing of thecaster, so as to permit of the free revolution or movement of thecaster-ball about and in contact with said ball-bearings withoutcomparatively any f riction and without the caster-ball becoming setagainst free movement thereof. r

The principal object of my present invention is to provide acomparatively simple, durable, and effective non-frictional orballbearing caster for furniture and other similar articles in which thecaster proper, with its parts for the reception and retention of theball-bearings of the caster-ball, are so arranged as that the ball willbe always pr0p-' erly poised and positioned to insure free movement ofthe ball about the ball-bearings and in Contact with the peripheralsurface of the same Without possibility of the ball becoming set.

My invention, stated in general terms, consists of a ball-bearing casterwhen constructed and arranged in substantially the manner hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The nature and characteristic features of my invention will be morefully understood from the following description, taken in-connectionwith the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which- Figurelis a front elevational view of a caster in one of the forms embodyingfeatures of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of theupper threaded portion or shank of the caster adapted to be tted intothe leg of an article of furniture. Fig. 3 is a similar view of thecaster-ball housing with its iianged seat for engagement with an articleof furniture. Fig. t is a vertical sectional view of the caster of Fig.1 and in elevation the caster-ball seated on ballbearings and held inthe housing. Fig. 5 is an underneath plan view of the doublegrooved seatof the caster with the balls which form the bearings for the casterballand mounted and adapted to travel in the grooves of the said seat by theaction of the casterball in contact therewith. Fig. 6 is an ele-`vational view of a slightly-modilied form of caster embodying certainadditional features of my present invention. Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the upper portion of the caster of Fig. 6, with its hollow shankand with its inner flange or rim. Fig. Sis a vertical sectional view ofFig. 6, showing the internal arrangement of the caster and in elevationthe caster-ball in contact with its ballbearings within the housingtherefor. Fig. 9 is an elevational View of the upper doublegroovedball-bearing seat and spindle for the engagement of the latter in theupper portion or shank of the caster-body, and Fig. 10 is an underneathplan view of Fig. 9.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the housing of the caster,consisting, in the construction and arrangement of the caster asillustrated in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, of a barrel or tube a, having atapered lower end a', as clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and withan upper ange a2, forming a seat for engaging the article of furnitureor the like. The flange has openings a3 therein to permit of theinsertion of screws or pinsthrough the flange and into the article towhich the caster is to be secured. The interior of the barrel ct isthreaded, as at a4, for receiving and securing thereto the upper portionor member l) with its hollow shank b.

b2 is a double-grooved seat located within the .tube or barrel a, asclearly illustrated in Fig. 4. The seat b2 has two circular or con'-centric grooves or channels b3 and bs, which are adapted to contain,preferably, two series of different-sized small balls b4 and b5. Theinner groove b3 is located above the plane of the outer groove be, sothat the two series of balls in position in the circular or concentricgrooves will occupy different planes with respect to each other,considered as to their se- IOO i barrel a;

d is the caster-ball, mounted in the housing, so as to freely turn orrevolve in engagement with the two series of ball-bearings b4 and b5beyond the center with the peripheral surface of the caster-ball d inthe rotation or movement of the same withV comparatively little or nofriction and without said ball be.

coming set against movement due to eXtraneous or other causes brought tobear against the same, but always by reason of the character of thebearing-points, as well as the relation of such points tothe caster-ballwith an easy and practically frictionless action in any movement of thesaid caster-ball in connection with an article of furniture.

In Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the construction of the caster is thesame ashereinbefore explained, withthe exception that the seat b2, asillustrated in Fig. 8, and the balls inthe grooves located in different4planes and contacting at different points with the peripheral surfaceof the caster-ball cl, are slightlycloser together, speaking of' thesame with respect to their series arrangement, and the periphery ofwhich seat b2 is in sliding con tact with the rim or projection b9 ofthe upper member b. The seat b2, as shown, iits snugly against thesurface of the upper member or plate b, and its spindle 196 lits intothe hollow shank of the said plate b, whereby is afforded a slight rangeof rotary movement induced by the two series of balls b4 and b5,contacting with the cas-v ter-ball d. In the construction of the outerbarrel or tube ct of the caster proper, near the lower end a on theinner surface, is provided a groove a5 to form a seat for a series ofsmall balls as, ladapted to become `a slight bearing point or surfacefor the caster-ball d in the direction of a point central to a linethrough the caster-ball d to thereby steady the same and at'the sametime to support theball at three circumferential points or surfaces, andto thereby avoid jamming or setting through extraneous influencesbrought' to bear upon the caster-ball d in action. By arranging themember b with a threaded plate and threading the interior of the lowermember or housing a the two parts of the caster may be quickly andreadily separated for the-purpose of repairs, dac.

Having thus described the nature and object of my invention,what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A ball-bearing caster, comprising an upper member or plate' providedwith a hollow shank, a seat provided with a double-grooved face and witha spindle fitting into the shank 'of said plate, the grooves of saidseat being arrangedin different planes to each other,

' balls mounted in said grooves or channels,a

caster-ball engaging said balls and a housing surrounding said parts andcompassing a portion ofsaid caster-ball, substantiallv as and for thepurposes described.

2. A ball-bearing caster provided with an upper member or plate having ashank, a double-grooved seat for the reception of balls and having aspindle engaging the shank of said plate, a caster-ball adapted toengage with the balls in series of said seat, a housing provided with agroove near the lower end and provided therein with a series of ballsadapted `to contact with theperiphery of said casterball, theconstruction and arrangement being such, that the balls of said seat andballs of said housing form three bearin g points or surfaces for saidcaster-hall, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. A ball-bearing caster provided with an upper member or plate with ahollow shank,

,a double grooved or channeled seat with a spindle, said seat engagingsaid plate and the spindle engagin gin said shank and the grooves ofsaid seat being arranged in diiferent planes, balls of different sizesin detachable engagement with said grooves, a caster-ball adapted toperipherally engage said two series of balls, and a housing partiallycompassing said caster-ball and concealing said two series of ballsforming the bearings for said caster-ball and the seat thereof,substantially las and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set -my signature in the presence'of two subscribing witnesses.

` JAMES S. KOCH.

Witnesses:

J. WALTER DoUGLAss, THOMAS M. SMITH.

IOO

